Karayılan warns AKP about the peace process

PKK Executive Committee Member Murat Karayilan has answered questions of Firat News Agency on the recent developments in Iraq and on the peace process in Turkey.

In an interview with Firat News Agency, Murat Karayilan said that ISIS' occupation of Mosul will potentially reshape the Middle East.

Karayilan highlighted YPG's success in its battle against ISIS in Rojava and said "if YPG had not resisted, then ISIS would be declaring the 'Islamic State' by now."

Karayilan also touched upon Turkey-ISIS relationships and said:

"Everyone is aware of the support given to ISIS by Turkey in its attacks against Rojava; however, the weapon Turkey wanted to use against us (the Kurdistan freedom movement) is now turning on them. We always said that ISIS was a threat to all the peoples of the region. But they [Turkey] did not listen, this is the result.

Karayilan stated that ISIS was a nationalist movement and not a movement promoting the Ummah. And therefore ISIS was against Kurdish national rights. For this reason, Karayilan called upon the KDP and PUK to unite for the protection of Southern Kurdistan.

"At this historical juncture, I call upon the KDP and PUK to enable PKK guerrillas to help defend Kurdistan against these attacking gangs. Especially in Kirkuk and Sinjar the PKK guerrillas are ready to defend our people".

Karayilan also commented on the peace process in Turkey saying that the character of the process will become clear within 2 weeks and added:

"If AKP has any plans, it should take steps to realize these. Otherwise, everyone will continue in its own way.The Kurdish question cannot be solved by forming an undersecretary. The solution requires legal and constitutional regulations. The talks must be turned into a negotiation process and provided a legal framework. The Kurdish problem is the main and the most deeply rooted problem in the history of the Turkish Republic. Why is there no legal work for the solution of this problem? Why is there an ongoing insistence on the denialists' attitude? These policies raise our doubts. This is why a legalization of the process under a law is indispensible for us if the process is to continue".

Karayilan also stressed that the Kurds are not without an alternative and said:

"Today, South Kurdistan, with its population of 4-5 million is under way for independence. There is this kind of an alternative now for the Kurds. Everyone should be aware of this alternative. Turkish state and the AKP should see the reality and accept it as it is. At the moment Iraq is boiling over, Syria is boiling over; the Kurdish regions there are therefore boiling over. These are war fields. Under these conditions you cannot continue to impose repressions, denial and death in the biggest region of Kurdistan".

Concerning what could happen if AKP continues to impose its denialist policies, Karayilan said:

"This leads to a very big clash and split. We are not threatening anyone here. All we're saying is that this is the reality and it should be seen. If the project for living voluntarily together, developed by our leadership, will not be accepted, it will lead to separation. The solution is forcing itself to the foreground at the moment. If you deny this, if you reject the solution, if you play games to buy time, this leads to undesirable developments. This is why everyone should be extremely careful and act responsibly at this stage"